Pimp Yo Kite - The Kiteboarder Magazine

VITALS
Age: 19
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 170
Stance: goofy
Years kiting: 4.5
Favorite Spots: Corpus Christi, Cape Hatteras, Dominican
Republic, Pensacola
Favorite Conditions: Overhead waves and flat water, 20
knots, side-off, warm water
Favorite Moves: Progression and style is my mantra
Sponsors: Slingshot, South Coast Kiteboarding, Dakine,
X-Rated Kiteboarding
Bookmarks: lostcherry.com, asnews.net, myspace.com/
herbn, kiteforum.com, ampland.com, youtube.com
Gear set-up
Boards: 134 Misfit and 5’11 SRT
Bindings: Bindings are the only way to ride unless you’re
on a surfboard -- then it’s strapless!
Kites: 7-15m Fuels
Bars: 17” chicken loop pulley bar
Lines: 23m
Harness: Dakine Tabu
Living in the South Coast Kiteboarding
compound, Zach now has the Packery
Channel rails just 100 yards from
where he sleeps.
Zach Kleppe was one of the first generation of
kiteboarding groms in the United States. I met him
in 2001 when his dad bought my old Wipika 5m,
2-line kite and LF Picklefork 141 over the internet.
Tim and Sue Kleppe told me they wanted their
son to become a professional kiteboarder and
travel the world. The joke has always been that
Sue Kleppe is our sport’s very first soccer mom.
Now 19, Zach has matured into one of the top
riders in Florida and recently relocated to Corpus
Christi to coach for South Coast Kiteboarding and
train fulltime in the year-round windy conditions.
The rumor is the Kleppe’s still have the original
gear I sold them, which was passed down to his
younger brother Ben, and younger sister Kelsie.
Ben is now 17 and recently traveled to Corpus
Christi to compete against Zach at the Nissan
Velocity Games. Chelsea is 14 and it’s only a
matter of time before she is better then both of her
older brothers.
When and where did you start kiteboarding?
In 2001, I took my first lesson on Pensacola
Beach, Florida. Ever since that day I have tried to
ride every day possible.
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What riders influence you most?
Lou Wainman and Andre Phillip.
What do you do off the water to help you on
the water?
I try to eat somewhat healthy, exercise and keep
up with kiteforum.com.
If you could give props to someone you really
respect in the kiteboarding world, who would
it be?
I would have to give props to the people in
kiteboarding that have to take crap from others to
make kiteboarding what it is today and what it will
be in the future!
What is something about you that you do outside
of kiteboarding that most people wouldn’t
know?
I like to get online sometimes and learn a little
about internet coding, run, wakeboard, read/study
and eat donuts.
Rumor has it you were just featured in a music
video.
Yeah I was in Herb’N Pipeline’s new music video.
Don’t ride the way
someone else wants
you to ride.
Remember that equipment
is equipment. Some kites
work better than others, but
don’t blame your failures on
your gear.
Zach graduated high school this year and is now focused on
training every day to become one of the top riders in our sport.
Push yourself a
LITTLE bit more every
time you go out
and ride. New tricks
take TIME!
Story and
Photographs by
Ryan Riccitelli
I’m supposed to be breaking a girl’s heart or
something. At the end, I bail on the chick and kite
off into the sunset.
What is your perspective on bow kites, and
what do you personally like to ride?
Bow Kites are great for beginners and teaching,
but I would highly recommend getting a C-kite after
about one year of riding. I personally don’t like
the way they feel or fly when I’m riding unhooked
or doing any type of powered jumps. C-kites fly
a lot better for unhooked or any type of powered
moves.
What is the best tip you can give any progressing
kiteboarder to help raise their level?
Try riding for 30 minutes, take a GOOD break,
then go out for another 30. This pushes you to
throw more tricks and ride around less, but at the
same time you have a break so you can rethink
what you need to work on.
Where can people learn more about you?
Check out, www.lostcherry.com/kleppe, www.
myspace.com/zachk2 or just google “Zach
Kleppe.”